Vehicle-spring.



' H. c. WA I T'E.

VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1914.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

HARRY C. WAITE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 22, 1914..

Application filedApril 23, 1914. Serial No. 834,019.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HARRY .C; WAI'IE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and'useful Improvement in Vehicle-Springs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in vehicle-springs, which I'havedevised for supplementing the action of the spring ordinarily used forsupporting the vehicle-body on the axle, particularly in an automobile.In fact,my improvement was immediately devised for application to thetype of automobile known as the Ford Model T, and it is insuccessful-operation on my own car of that model, with reference towhich I prefer to describe it to facilitate the explanation hereinaftercontained of its operation; though it is not my purpose to be understoodas intending to limit the application of my improvement to anyparticular type of vehicle. V

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken view in frontelevation showing my improvement in its application to the forward axleand body-supporting spring in an automobile of the type above specified;Fig. 2 shows the same on a larger scale and illustrates by dottedrepresentationthe action of the supplemental spring, and Fig. 3 is abroken plan View of the showing in Fig. 2.

Only one half of the axle 4: is illustrated to show my improvement onone end, but itwill be understood that the other half is similarlyequipped. In a sleeve-like bearing 5 formed on the axle is supported andsecured at its straight section an arm 6 having an upper curved sectionformed with a lower transverse tubular bearing 7 and a similar bearing 8on its upper end. In the bearing 7 is secured, as usual, the member 9and in the bearing 8 is fastened a pivot-bolt 10. Similar bowed C-shapedsprings 11, 11, each formed of one piece of spring metal having its endsprovided with eyes and widening therefrom toward its center tostrengthen it toward the point at which the greatest strain is to beresisted, are fastened at corresponding eyes on the opposite ends of thepin 10. In the opposite eyes of the two springs is supported a pin 12 onwhich bears one end of the leaf-spring 13 having secured to it, midwaybetween its ends, the usual yoke 14 for carrying the vehicle-body (notshown).

The equipment may be ,the same, or sub stantially the same as thatdescribed, for the rear axle. l

'Tl'i'e'stifiness of the spring 13 is such as to cause it .to yield andperform its resilient function only When the vehicle is more or lessheavily loaded, so that when lightly loaded the vehicle rides withoutdue resiliency. To overcome this objection, I prov1de the springs 11 ofa relatively lesser stiffness than the leaf-spring 13, whereby they willyield resiliently under a comparatively light load (say that of onepassenger where the weight of four or five passengers is required tobend the spring 13). With such a light load its weight, carried throughthe medium of the spring 13 on the opposite pairs of springs 11, whichturns them 'on theirpivots from the full line to the dotted-lineposition illustrated in Fig. 2, spreads their ends against which theleafspring bears away from their opposite ends, thereby putting thesprings 11 under tension to resiliently ride the vehicle. When the loadis so great as to cause the spring 13 to yield it will have put thesprings 11 under the maximum tension required of them to cause thespring 13 to act resiliently, and in that way supplement the function ofthe latter.

By duplicating the springs 11 on each end of the spring 13, to embracethe latter between them, they tend to prevent longitudinal swaying ofthe vehicle-body inmotion, and the widening construction of thesupplemental springs to a point midway between the ends of each tends tostiffen them transversely to adapt them to resist more. effectively theswaying tendency referred to.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Incombination with a vehicle-axle an a spring for carrying thereon thevehiclebody, a pair of bowed C-shaped springs pivotally supported on theaxle near each end thereof, the members of each pair carrying on theirfree ends and embracing said spring at one end with the opening of the Cextending away from the body of the spring.

2. In combination with a vehicle-axle and a spring for carrying thereonthe vehiclebody, bowed C-shaped springs pivotally supported at one endin pairs on the axle near each end thereof with the opening of the 0extending away from the body of the spring, the members of each pairhaving at their free ends a pin-connection on which said spring iscarried and embraced at one end pair- -having at their free endsapin-conbetween said members. nection on which sani spring is carried and10- L 3. In eo fnbination witlzil'a vehicieanlfn and embraced atone endbetween said members. a spring or carrying t ereon t e ve 'cle- '5 body,bowed C-shaped springs widening R T WAITE' from their ends toward theircenters'and In presence of supported at one end in pairs on the axle NiB. DEARBORN, near each end thereof, the members of each a V 0. AVISUS.

